Re: How Much To Throw Out?
The music issue being discussed in this thread is a good example of many unnecessary "straight jackets" in "the Lords Recovery" (TLR) that can be seen through by careful scripture reading. I suspect blindness to legalism versus nefarious motives in the earlier days of TLR. These were never washed out of the Living Stream Ministry. I have met a few TLR "saints" who listen to contemporary Christian music outside of the meetings. So, it is not universal.
It is hard to know what was in the heart of Witness Lee related to "kibash" on singing Psalms, but I'd like to offer this insight:
1) About 1981, when he was giving the "Summer Training" in Anaheim (those "messages" were compiled into the Life Study of 1 Corinthians), I remember him expressing frustration with the younger saints for singing so many songs with words from Psalms such as "His mercy endures forever". He said this not because that statement isn't true, but because New Testament (NT) believers have so much more of the truth that has been revealed in NT writings to praise God with. During the "Winter Training" that year, the Living Stream Ministry had quite a few young saints present new songs Lee had asked them to compose using exact words from 1 Corinthians, and in some cases Lee's footnotes and surprisingly modern music (to me).
2) Witness Lee spoke of avoiding divisions over music many times. And, piano and guitar were the only instruments I ever saw used in meetings. The longer I observed what was going on in the recovery (from inside and outside) for many years, I came to the conclusion that Lee had adopted many things from his Brethren experience, what he learned from Nee, and from many truly spiritual saints who came into "the recovery who had non-biblical legalism regarding music and many other things, and really didn't know any better. But, this is just conjecture (God knows the heart).
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